


Key to the future

by thisfrailheart



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: aside from that it's supposed to be a little cute thing about Sirius and Fleamont's relationship, nothing graphic but I do want people to be aware, possible CW/TW because we're talking about Sirius and his birth family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 04:16:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14887448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisfrailheart/pseuds/thisfrailheart
Summary: This was inspired by the scene in Deathly Hallows where Molly gives Harry her late brother’s watch as a birthday present. I liked the idea of the watch being an heirloom because it’s probably the most amazing gift for Harry. To be given something that’s usually passed down to family members? That must have been really validating.Then I kept thinking…did Sirius ever get a watch?Of course, I also love thinking about Fleamont and Euphemia as loving, supportive parents, soo…this happened.Happy reading! <3





	Key to the future

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the scene in Deathly Hallows where Molly gives Harry her late brother’s watch as a birthday present. I liked the idea of the watch being an heirloom because it’s probably the most amazing gift for Harry. To be given something that’s usually passed down to family members? That must have been really validating.   
> Then I kept thinking…did Sirius ever get a watch?  
> Of course, I also love thinking about Fleamont and Euphemia as loving, supportive parents, soo…this happened.  
> Happy reading! <3

**KEY TO THE FUTURE**

When Sirius turned 17, his parents gave him a camera. He wasn’t entirely sure what that gift was supposed to symbolize but he thanked them nonetheless. He kept it in the wooden chest it had come in, on a shelf in the dorm. The letter that had arrived with the camera was displayed right next to it. It was addressed to “our eldest on occasion of his 17th birthday”. Sirius thought that might just be the best thing he’d ever seen with his own eyes. He’d never felt so loved before. Never felt so wanted.

The letter included some of the loveliest things anybody, let alone a parent, had said to him. But it didn’t specify why they had chosen to give him the camera and not a watch. In the end, he decided that the Potters probably didn’t care about tradition as much as the Blacks did. And he was content, he really was. The camera was an amazing gift.  _What on earth could he want more than people who actually cared about him? Cared about him enough to send gifts for his birthday?_  Still, he couldn’t help but feel more connected to the letter than the camera. So it stayed in its box, on that shelf in the dorm.

Christmas holidays rolled around a few weeks later and the boys went home to celebrate. After dinner, as everyone was winding down, Fleamont took Sirius aside. He wanted to have a word and led him to the study. There, his father unlocked the top drawer of the cluttered desk and took out an ornately carved wooden box. It looked much like the one that held his camera, but it was smaller than his.

“Now that you’re an adult I wanted to hear your opinion. This used to belong to my father, he gave it to me for my birthday. And I’d like to give it to James for his 17th. Do you think he’ll like it?” Fleamont asked, flipped open the box and handed it to Sirius.

On soft black fabric rested a beautiful old pocket watch. Sirius felt like someone had cast an ice-cold Aguamenti on him, felt like he couldn’t breathe. James was getting a watch. James was getting  _this_  watch. Swallowing, Sirius attempted a smile and airily agreed with his…with Fleamont.

“He’ll love it, I’m sure.”

Closing the box, Sirius thrust it back into Fleamont’s hands. Then he turned around and made for the door as calmly as he could.

“Son?”

Sighing and hanging his head, Sirius stopped short of the door. “Yes?”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes-” Suddenly, his mouth went dry and he had to clear his throat before pushing the “of course” past his lips. Sirius reached for the door handle, hoping that Fleamont would accept his answer and let him leave, but sure enough-

“Would you like to look me in the eye and repeat that?”

Sirius took a deep breath and turned around to look at Fleamont. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Possibly anger for trying to flee the room like a coward. Or maybe disappointment about the clear disobedience towards the Head of the Family. After all, he had turned around in the middle of a conversation and left Fleamont standing there, looking like a fool. Those were all things he’d heard before.   
But he had not expected concern. So when Sirius finally lifted his gaze and was met with a worried frown on Fleamont’s face, he was shocked.

“What’s wrong, son?”

“Nothing, I just-“ Sirius began, but then the sadness in his heart spilled over. He felt alone again. And he might as well burn all his bridges while he was at it. “Why’d James get the watch?” he cried out, the dam finally breaking.

Fleamont looked confused. “The watch? This is about the watch?”

“Yes! No…” Sirius shook his head. Somewhere along the way, the sadness had transformed into anger and he couldn’t string his thoughts into a sentence anymore. He was overwhelmed.

“Did you want it? The watch?”

“ _No_! Yes! Maybe…I just-” Sirius took a deep breath, trying to sort through the absolute hurricane of thoughts and feelings. “You gave me that camera for my 17th and I’m so grateful, honest, but I thought it was because you didn’t really believe in traditions and that made it better, sort of, because my… _the Blacks_  bloody believe in them and I was fine and it felt good and even though I don’t know what to do with the camera or why I got it I still love it and I’m really, really grateful but now James is getting a watch and maybe you do care about traditions and I-“

“Son, have a seat,” Fleamont interrupted Sirius’ babbling in a soft voice and was now gesturing towards the two armchairs in the study. But Sirius was too shocked to move. Had he actually just said all those things? And to the person who had taken him in? He couldn’t believe what he had done. Disobedience at its finest.

“Sirius? Come on. Sit down.” Fleamont had already taken a seat in one of the chairs and was now beckoning Sirius to do the same. With a minute shake of his head, Sirius sat down opposite Fleamont.

“Sirius, tradition is not the reason why we chose to give James a watch. And it’s not the reason you didn’t get one. We wanted you to have something that used to belong to us. An heirloom. We chose Euphemia’s camera and my watch because they made the most sense. You got the camera because you, my son, live in the past. You’re holding on to all those painful memories. We wanted you to make new ones,  _good ones_  and capture them, so you can remember those moments forever. And James got the watch because that boy is  _always_ late. He lives in the moment too often. Plans pranks and forgets about important things.” Fleamont smiled at Sirius, who felt like a whole house’s weight had been lifted off of his chest.

“Do you remember the letter we sent you on your birthday?” Fleamont asked. Sirius nodded.

“Every word,” Sirius said. He looked Fleamont right in the eye.

“And we meant every word. You are our son. You belong, Sirius,“ Fleamont said, returning Sirius gaze.

Sirius’ eyes began burning with unshed tears. He’d never heard those words said with so much love before. Usually, they would have been thrown in his face to get him to obey.  _You belong to me. You are mine and I choose for you._  But this was overwhelming in an entirely new way.

Fleamont rose and patted his son’s shoulder as he walked by.

“I’ll give you a minute alone. But don’t take too long or your mother will start to worry. And she’ll likely send James to come get you.” Sirius could hear the grin in his father’s voice.

After his father had closed the door, leaving him alone in the study, Sirius broke down. He started sobbing, tears streaming down his face. Tears of utter happiness.  _It’s not because of traditions or rules. It’s because they care. They care._

 

A few months later, when the owl with James’ birthday present arrived, Sirius had his camera at the ready. It hadn’t been on that shelf in the dorm for a while.


End file.
